Open-center vise



Sept. 6, 1955 FOCKE 2,716,911

OPEN-CENTER VISE Filed Oct. 1, 1954 INVENTOR.

gusfarua j. fat/1e A'ITCI RN EYB United States Patent OPEN-CENTER VISE Gustavus K. Focke, East Stroudsburg, Pa.

Application October 1, 1954, Serial No. 459,621

2 Claims. (Cl. 81 -23) This invention relates to a vise, and more particularly to a vise that includes a frame which has its central portion open.

The object of the invention is to provide a vise which includes a pair of jaws one of which is stationary and one of which is movable and wherein a workpiece can be clamped between the jaws in either a vertical or horizontal position, there being an open frame extending between the pair of jaws and wherein there is provided a manually operable means for adjusting the movable jaw and moving the frame.

A further object of the invention is to provide a vise which includes a pivotally mounted adjustable jaw that is carried by a frame, the frame being slidably connected to a stationary jaw so that the pivoted jaw can be moved toward and away from the stationary jaw.

A further object of the invention is to provide an opencenter vise which is extremely simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and in which like numerals are used to designate like parts throughout the same:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the open-center vise, constructed according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken through the vise.

Figure 3 is a left end elevation of the vise.

Figure 4 is an elevation of the fixed jaw.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of a modified vise.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates a stationary base which has a plurality of apertured cars 11 extending therefrom, and the cars 11 may have apertures or openings 12 therein whereby suitable securing elements such as bolts or screws can be extended through these apertures and into engagement with a suitable supporting structure such as a table or bench. A swivel pin 14 serves to rotatably connect a plate 15 to the base 10. Secured to the plate 15 in any suitable manner, as for example by welding is a first jaw 16. Suitable securing elements such as T-bolts 17 extend from the plate 15 into an arcuate groove in the base 10 and by tightening the bolts 17, the plate 15 can be maintained immobile with respect to the base 10.

The jaw 16 is provided with a pair of spaced parallel grooves or cutouts 18 in its sides, and the vise further includes an open center frame which is indicated generally by the numeral 19. The frame 19 includes a pair of spaced parallel and elongated side bars 20 which slidably engage the grooves 18, and an end member 22 extends between the ends of the side bars 20 and is secured thereto by screws 21 or formed integral therewith. The end member 22 is provided with an opening in which is seated a sleeve nut 23 that has its axis extending parallel to the elongate axes of the parallel bars 20. A ro- Patented Sept. 6, 1955 tatable screw member 24 is arranged in threaded engagement with the sleeve nut 23, and a knob 25 is mounted on the outer end of the screw member 24 for rotating the screw member manually. The inner end of the screw member 24 is smooth and is rotatably seated in a recess 26 in the adjacent end of the jaw 16. A collar 28 is secured to the jaw 16, and portions of the collar 28 project inwardly into engagement with an annular groove 27 in the screw member 24. Thus, as the screw member 24 is manually rotated by means of the knob or handle 25, the frame 19 will be moved back and forth with respect to the stationary jaw 16. Extending between the other ends of the side bars 20 of the frame 19 and secured thereto or formed integral therewith is a bracket 29. A pair of side walls 30 project from the bracket 29 and are secured thereto, and a pin 31 extends between the pair of side walls, Figure 2. A movable jaw 32 is pivotally mounted on the pin 31, and each of the jaws 32 and 16 has inserts 33 on their work engaging faces and these inserts may be removed and replaced when they become worn. A spring member 34 is interposed between the lower end of the bracket 29 and the adjacent end of the jaw 32 for a purpose to be later described.

A manually operable means is provided for adjusting the jaw 32, and this manually operable means comprises in Figures 1, 2 and 3, a screw member 35 which is arranged in threaded engagement with the bracket 29. A sleeve 36 is secured to the outer end of the screw member 35, while the inner end of the screw member 35 bears against the jaw 32. A handle 37 is slidably mounted in the sleeve 36, so that by manually rotating the handle 37 the screw member 35 can be rotated to thereby cause pivotal movement of the jaw 32 towards the jaw 16. Then, when reverse rotation is placed on the screw member 35 so that pressure on the jaw 32 is released, the spring 34 will bias or urge the upper portion of the jaw 32 away from the jaw 16 so that pressure on the workpiece is released quickly.

There is shown a modified vise in Figure 5 and this vise comprises a lever 38 which is pivotally connected to the frame 19 by means of a pin 39, and the lever 38 carries a cam 40 which engages a sliding pin 41. The pin 41 is slidably positioned in an opening 42 in a bracket 43, and the pin 41 engages a jaw 44 that is adapted to cooperate with a jaw 45. The jaws 44 and 45 serve the same purpose as the previously described jaws 32 and 16. Spaced parallel side members 46 are secured to the frame 19 and bracket 43 and these side members 46 help to stifien the vise or reinforce the vise. Apertured cars 47 extend from the side members 46. The jaw 44 is pivotally connected to the cars 47 by means of a pin 48, and a coil spring 49 is positioned below the ears 47 and is interposed between the lower ends of the members 43 and 44. For effecting a sliding connection between the frame 19 and the jaw 45, a pair of plates 51 are secured to the jaw 45 in any suitable manner, as for example by means of securing elements 50, and these plates 51 coact with the jaw 45 to define guideways in which are mounted the plates 20 of the frame 19. By manually pivoting the lever 38, the jaw 44 can be moved towards and away from the jaw 45 and by properly positioning the lever 38, the jaw 44 can be maintained immobile in its adjusted positions.

From the foregoing it is apparent that there has been provided an open-center vise which includes a base 10 that can be secured to any suitable supporting structure by means of the apertured cars 11. In use the base 10 can be secured in place and then a workpiece to be gripped or clamped can be positioned between the pair of jaws 16 and 32. The screw member 24 can be manually rotated by means of the knob 25 to shift the frame 19 relative to the jaw 16 so as to move the jaw 32 and its associated parts toward oraway from the jaw 16. The final adjustment of the jaw 32 can be effected by rotating the handle 37 which causes pivotal movement of the jaw 32 about the pin 31 so that the workpiece can be firmly clamped therebetween. Since the frame 19 is open between the pair of side bars 20, the workpiece being held by the jaws 16 and 32 can be extended through this space between the side bars. By loosening the bolts 17 the jaw 16 and plate 15 can be pivoted on the pin 14 to any desired angular position with respect to the stationary base 10. Instead of using the handle 37 to effect pivotal movement of the movable jaw 32, the lever 38 can be used as shown in Figure 5. When pressure on the jaw 32 (or 44) is released by means of the handle 37 (or 38), the spring member 34 (or 49) will move the jaw out of engagement with the workpiece so that the workpiece can be removed or replaced without the necessity of shifting the entire frame 19 by means of the screw 24. The base 10 may be used to provide a rotatable support for the jaw 16 and frame 19 or else the jaw 16 can be secured to a bench or other support so that rotation does not take place. The adjusting screws may have fine or coarse threads and the jaws extend above the frame. Since the frame is fully open at its upper and lower sides, work may be secured in the vise in a vertical or horizontal position and when the work is secured in a vertical position, the work extends from the faces 33 of the jaws downwardly through the frame.

I claim:

1. In an open-center vise, a base provided with a plurality of apertured ears adapted to be secured to a supporting structure, a swivel pin extending upwardly from said base, a horizontally disposed plate engaging said pin and rotatably mounted on said base, a first jaw secured to said plate, there being a pair of spaced parallel grooves in the sides of said jaw, an open frame including a pair of spaced parallel and elongate side bars slidably engaging said grooves, an end member extending between a corresponding end of each of said bars and secured thereto, said end member being provided with an opening, a sleeve nut seated in said opening so that its axis extends parallel to elongate axes of said parallel bars, a screw member threaded through said sleeve nut, said jaw having a recess in a wall confronting said end member for rotatably receiving an end of said screw member, said screw member having an annular groove therein, a collar secured to said wall of said jaw and having a portion engaging said annular groove, a bracket extend- I 9 ing between a corresponding opposite end of each of said side bars and secured thereto, a portion of said bracket extending down below said side bars, said bracket ineluding a pair of spaced parallel side walls, a pin supported by and extending between said side walls, a second jaw pivotally mounted on said pin, a spring member interposed between the lower end of said bracket and said second jaw to bias said second jaw to its non-clamping position, and manually operable means for pivoting said second jaw against a work piece to be clamped between said first and second jaws.

2. In an open-center vise, a base provided with a plurality of apertured ears adapted to be secured to a supporting structure, a swivel pin extending upwardly from said base, a horizontally disposed plate engaging said pin and rotatably mounted on said base, a first jaw secured to said plate, a pair of plates secured to said jaw and coacting therewith to define guidcways, an open frame including a pair of spaced parallel and elongate side bars slidably engaging said guideways, an end member extending between a corresponding end of each of said bars and secured thereto, said end member being provided with an opening, a sleeve nut seated in said opening so that its axis extends parallel to elongate axes of said parallel bars, a screw member threaded through said sleeve nut, said jaw having a recess in a wall con fronting said end member for rotatably receiving an end of said screw member, said screw member having an annular groove therein, a collar secured to said wall of said jaw and having a portion engaging said annular groove, a bracket extending between a corresponding opposite end of each of said side bars and secured thereto, a portion of said bracket extending down below said side bars, said bracket including a pair of spaced parallel side walls, a pin supported by and extending between said side walls, a second jaw pivctally mounted on said pin, a spring member interposed between the lower end of said bracket and said second jaw to bias said second jaw to its non-clamping position, and manually operable means for pivoting said second jaw against a work piece to be clamped between said first and second jaws, said means comprising a lever pivotally connected to said frame and including a cam, and an axially slidable pin in contact with said second jaw and actuated by said cam, said slidable pin being interposed between said cam and second jaw and being slidably supported by said bracket.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 89,130 Cummings Apr. 20, 1869 272,864 Doyle Feb. 27, 1883 1,362,222 Borg Dec. 14, 1920 1,740,934 Raymond Dec. 24, 1929 2,592,076 Spinnlcr Apr. 8, 1952 

